Best Grandmas Roasted Duck Recipes

SLOW ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Set your oven to 325°F. Using a needle or a sharp knife point, prick the skin of the duck all over -- but be sure to not pierce the meat itself, only the skin. This lets the fat render out and will help crisp the skin. Pay special attention to the back, the flanks, and the very front of the breast.
• Rub the cut lemon all over the duck and stick it inside the cavity. Liberally salt the bird; use a little more salt than you think you need. Stuff the duck with the herbs. Let the bird sit out for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature, while the oven heats up.
• When you are ready to roast, put the duck in an iron frying pan or other ovenproof pan and surround it with root vegetables. Set the pan in the oven. Small ducks (wood ducks, wigeon, teal, ruddies, etc.) only need 40 minutes in the oven. If you are roasting mallards or a typical, store-bought Pekin duck, you will want to increase the roasting time to 90 minutes. A goose may take as long as 2 hours. After the allotted time, take the pan out of the oven and set the ducks on a cutting board to rest. Spoon any fat that has accumulated over the vegetables and salt them well. If the veggies are ready to eat, remove them. If there is a lot of excess fat, spoon it off.
• Now increase the heat to 450°F. When the oven hits this temperature, return the birds to the oven and roast them for up to 30 more minutes, or until the skin is crisp. The reason you take the bird out of the oven is because a) the resting time helps redistribute the juices in the bird midstream, and b) you are crisping skin without totally overcooking the duck by only returning it to the oven when it is hot.
• Remove from oven and let the birds rest. Small ducks need 5 minutes resting time, large ducks 10 minutes, geese 15.

WOOD-ROASTED WHOLE SONOMA DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• For the duck: Rub the duck with the olive oil, season it well with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan breast-side up. Roast for 15 minutes, then shake the pan to release the duck and roast another 25 minutes. At this point, turn the duck onto the breast so it can baste in its own rendered fat. Roast another 25 minutes, then turn the duck again onto its back and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. The duck skin should be golden brown and a thermometer placed in the thigh meat should register an internal temperature of 135 degrees F. Remove the duck from the pan, reserving the fat in the pan. Let the duck rest for 10 minutes, then slice into 8 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings and 2 breasts.
• For the Cabernet sauce: In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the duck neck and chicken thighs, skin-side down, and saute until golden brown and the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter followed by the onions, garlic and shallots. Saute until translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cognac and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Cabernet Sauvignon and bring to a simmer. Add the duck neck, chicken thighs, bay leaves, sage, thyme, parsley, chives and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• For the mushroom ragu: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook gently for 7 to 8 minutes; season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Then add the sherry, garlic, onion and half of the scallions and cook for 4 minutes. Add the ginger, 2 tablespoons butter and the remaining scallions and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• For the radishes: Put the radishes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add salt and cook until the radishes are just tender. Drain.
• In a separate saucepan over medium heat, add the poached radishes and 1 tablespoon of the rendered duck fat and saute until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Check for seasoning.
• For serving: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Reheat the duck meat on a sheet tray until warmed through, about 4 minutes. Place the mushroom ragu and radishes on a platter. Cut each breast into four pieces and place on a platter with the thighs and legs. Top with the Cabernet sauce.

ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Rub salt, pepper, and paprika into the skin of the duck. Place in a roasting pan.
• Roast duck in preheated oven for 1 hour. Spoon 1/4 cup melted butter over bird, and continue cooking for 45 more minutes. Spoon remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over duck, and cook for 15 more minutes, or until golden brown.

​​CRISP ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Bring a full kettle or medium pot of water to a boil (at least 2 quarts).
• Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from the duck cavity and reserve for another use. Trim any excess fat from around the duck cavity and the neck. Place duck, breast side up, on a rack in the sink. Pour half of the boiling water all over the top of the duck to tighten the skin. Flip the bird and pour remaining boiling water over the back.
• Once the duck is cool enough to handle, using the tip of a very sharp paring knife, prick duck skin all over to help release the fat, especially where the skin is thickest, and be careful not to pierce the meat. It can be helpful to hold the knife nearly parallel to the bird. After piercing the skin, use the knife blade to score the duck breast in a crosshatch pattern (making deep cuts into the skin only, and not into the breast meat). Flip the bird and score the back as well (you don't need to prick the back). You may need to sharpen your knife along the way, as it's much easier to make clean cuts into the skin with a sharp knife. Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, thoroughly pat duck dry, including inside the cavity.
• Season the duck all over, including cavity, with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine garlic, chopped herbs, citrus zest and coriander, if using, and make a paste. Rub garlic paste all over duck, inside and out. Place duck, breast side up, on rack in a roasting pan, stuff cavity with herb sprigs, and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• When it's time to cook the bird, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully prick duck skin all over the top of the bird using a sharp paring knife. (You don't need to prick the back of the duck.) Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until skin is golden brown and crispy, and the internal temperature at thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour to 1 hour 45 minutes longer. Using tongs, gently tip duck to drain any liquid from the cavity. Transfer bird to cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

ROAST DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Trim duck of all visible fat. Using a fork, prick the skin all over without piercing the meat; season with salt and pepper. Place duck on a rack set in a roasting pan and transfer to oven; roast for 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting until juices run clear when thigh is pierced, about 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Reserve any duck fat from roasting pan. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks. Remove skin from duck and discard. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Shred meat and serve or store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days.